Signaling device for automobiles and similar vehicles



Jan. 15, 1935.

G. F. PETTERSSON ET AL 1,988,330 SIGNALING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES AND SIMILAR VEHICLES Filed March 10, 1953 InvenTors. GusTqF E PeITersson Teodor WSondberg MM&W- ATTys.

Patented Jan. 15, I935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Gustaf l ritiof Pettersson Sandberg,

and Teodor Wilhelm Borlange, Sweden Application March 10, 1933, Serial No. 660,280

In Sweden February 17, 1932 3 Claim.

This invention relates to a signaling device for automobiles or similar vehicles. The said device comprises a switch, by means of which the ignition circuit of the motor may be interrupted about simultaneously with the closing of an electric circuit for operating one or more optical and/or acoustic signaling devices. The purpose of the signaling device is to enable distressed automobile drivers to call for help from persons within hearing and/or sight in case of assault, sudden attacks of illness or accident. The device according to the present invention is characterized substantially thereby that the above mentioned switch comprises a contact box or the like, containing spring leaf retainers or the like, connected to ignitionand signaling devices, and a displaceable connecting plug which is connected with pulling members, the said spring leaf retainers and connecting plug being arranged in such a manner that when the plug and the spring leaf retainers are held in their normal positions, the ignition circuit and signal circuit may be interrupted and closed by means of switches located outside the contact box, the said ignition circuit being automatically interrupted and one (or more) signal circuit being automatically closed independently of the switches outside the box, when the plug has been moved from its normal position by the action of the pulling member.

An embodiment of the invention is shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing numeral 1 indicates the contact box, which is provided with a door 23, spring leaf contacts 2, 3, 4 and 5 being provided in the said box. The spring leaf contact indicated by 3 is connected to a line 7, extending from the battery 6 of the automobile, and rests with its free end against a metal ring 8, which conducts the current to the spring leaf contact indicated by 2. The spring leaf contacts 2 and 3 cannot be brought into contact with each other, even if the ring 8 is removed. A line extends from the line '1 to a horn 18 and lines extend from the line 7a, which is connected to the spring leaf retainer 2, to the distributor 9 of the ignition circuit, to a tailp 10 and to two headlights 11. The said ignitionand signaling circuits may be closed and interrupted by means of switches 12, the switch 12 in the ignition circuit leading to the distributor constituting an ignition switch. Further a displaceable connecting plug is located in the contact box 1,-the said connecting plug consisting, in the embodiment shown, of a sleeve 13 made of an insulating material, a metal rod 14 being displaceably arranged in the said sleeve,

said rod 14 extending loosely through the metal ring 8 and the latter being normally held from vertical movement on the rod by the spring contacts 2 and 3. The said rod has connected to one end thereof a pulling member 15, the free end of which is adapted to be connected with the wrist of the automobile driver, preferably the wrist of the arm which is not used for manipulating the hand brake or the gear shift lever. In the type of car having the driving wheel on the left side it will be the left arm of the driver which is not so occupied and hence under these conditions the pulling member will be connected to the left wrist of the driver. The other end of said rod is connected with the sleeve 13 by means of a coil spring 16. Part of the metal rod 14 is covered with an insulating material 17, which, when the connecting plug takes its normal inserted position, which is shown in the drawing, insulates the ring from the metal rod.

A line 19 extending from the battery 6 is connected to the spring leaf contact 5. The spring leaf contact 4 rests against a contact part 20 formed from the coil spring 16, and a line 21 is connected to the said spring leaf contact, lines 21a extending, in its turn to the horn 18, to red bulbs in the headlights 11 and to a backwardly directed headlight 22, which is provided with a red lens.

The signaling device operates in the manner:

After the driver has taken his seat in the automobile he will fasten the free end of the pulling member 15 to the wrist of his arm which is not used for manipulating the hand brake or the gear shift lever. In the case of a car having a left hand drive the gear shift lever and the hand brake are usually operated by the right hand and hence the pulling member will be connected to the left wrist of the operator. Since the switches 12 in the signaling circuit, ignition circuit and lighting circuit are independent from the circuit connections in the contact box 1 and since the ignition circuit and lighting circuit following are normally closed through the contacts 2, 3 45 ber 15 and will pull the rod 1% upwardly against the action of the spring 16.

During this upward movement the metal ring 8 will be held in position by the spring contacts 2 and 3 so that a non-insulated portion of the rod it will be drawn into the ring. When this occurs an electrical connection will be established between the contact 3 and the rod 14 and thence through the spring 16, contacts 20 and d and the circuits 21a to the headlight 22, to the horn 1B and to red bulbs in the headlights 11.

The horn will thus be sounded even though the signaling switch is open and the red lights in the headlights 22 and 11 will indicate that the automobile is in distress and needs help. During this "operation the ignition circuit remains closed through the contacts 2, 3 and the ring 8 so that the operator can run his engine if desirable. .If the driver does not wish to continue signaling for help he may slacken the strain on the pulling member 15 which will restore the parts to the position shown in the drawing and thus open the circuits 21a leading to the red lights and to the horn 18.

If the accident is such that the driver may be thrown from his seat or otherwise seriously injured so that he will make either a voluntary or conscious movement of his left wrist to a considerable extent such movement will bring the flange 24 on the rod 14 against the upper end of the sleeve 13 and then will draw both the rod and the sleeve out through the open end 25 of the contact box. This withdrawal of the circuit controller 14, 13 will open the ignition circuit at the contacts 2, 3 because said contacts are so constructed that they do not close together when the metal ring 8 is removed. The removal of the sleeve 13 from the contact box 1, however, will allow the contacts a and 5 to close together since these contacts areso constructed that they would normally closed together when the sleeve 13 is removed.

The breaking of the ignition circuit between the contacts 2 and 3 will, of course, stop the motor and the closing of the contacts 4 and 5 will close circuits from .the battery through the line 19, contacts 4 and 5 and circuit connections 21a leading to the horn 18 and the lamp 22 and the red bulbs in the headlights 11. These circuits will remain closed until the sleeve 13 and the rod- 14 have been replaced in the contact box 1. The continuedoperation of the audible and. visible signals will indicate that assistance is needed.

Of course several modifications may be thought of withinthe scope of the invention. Thus the connecting plug and also other contact members may be shaped in a. plurality of ways; and also the circuit arrangements maybe varied per se. Further, in addition to the signaling devices shown in the drawing, more such devices may also be provided, which preferably enter into function first when the ignition current has been interrupted, without it being necessary to depart from the fundamental idea of the invention.

Having now describedour invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A signaling device for automobiles having an ignition circuit provided with an ignition switch and a signaling circuit provided with a signaling switch, said signaling device comprising a movable circuit-closing member having means independent from the ignition switch to close the ignition circuit when said member is in normal position, a pulling member in the form of a flexible connection secured to said circuitcontrolling member and adapted to be attached to some portion of the drivers body, said pulling member being normally slack when so attached, a normally-open auxiliary signaling circuit having a signal therein, means for closing said auxiliary signaling circuit without opening the ignition circuit when the driver gives said circuitcontrolling member an initial movement by means of the pulling member, and for opening the ignition circuit and maintaining the signaling circuit closed when the driver gives the circuit-controlling member an additional movement by means of said pulling member.

2. A signaling device for automobiles such as described in claim 1, in which the circuit-controlling means comprises a contact box containing two pairs of spring contacts, one of which is in the ignition circuit and the other of which is in the signaling circuit, a twopart circuit-controlling member in said box, one part of which is in the form of a rod to which the pulling member is connected and the other part of which has a portion of insulating material which holds the pair of contacts in the signaling circuit separated, a contact ring loosely mounted on said rod and with which the pair of spring contacts in the ignition circuit engage, said ring being normally insulated from the rod, a resilient connection between the two parts of said circuit-controlling member, said resilient'conneotion constituting an electrical connection between the rod and one of the pair of contacts in the signaling circuit, whereby when the rod is given an initial movement the signaling circuit is established without interrupting the ignition circuit while when the rod is given a further movement the ignition circuit is interrupted while the signaling circuit is maintained closed.

3. A signaling device such as described. in claim 1, in which the circuit-controlling member comprises two parts, one of which is in the form of a rod to which the pulling member is connected and the other of which is in the form of a sleeve into which the rod telescopes, a spring connecting said parts, a contact ring slidably mounted on the rod but normally insulated therefrom, a pair of contacts in the ignition circuit normally engaging said ring, an auxiliary signaling circuit, a second pair of spring contacts therein, the sleeve element "of the circuit-controlling member normally holding said second contacts separated, initial pulling movement on the pulling member serving to move the rod element of the circuitcontrolling member relative to the sleeve element thereof and. thereby close the auxiliary signaling circuit without opening the ignition circuit, and further pulling movement on the pulling member withdrawing the ring from between the firstnamed contacts and the sleeve member from between the second pair of contacts, whereby the ignition circuit is opened while the signaling circuit remains closed.

GUSTAF FRITIOF PE'II'ERSSON. TEODOR WILHELM SANDBERG. 

